Wearing-apparel-display device



Jan. 21, 1930. J. H. LOPIN 1,744,050

WEARING APPAREL DISPLAY DEVICE Filed May 6, 1927 INVENTOR MrW ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 21, 1930 PATENT ()FFlCE JOSEPH H. LOPIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WEARING-APPAREL-DISPLAY DEVICE Application filed May 6, 1927.

This invention relates to display hangers and has particular reference to a hanger for supporting wearing apparel so as to exhibit the apparel to the best advantage. The display device has particular utility for displaying those articles of wearing apparel which are worn on the upper port-ions of the body, such as coats, jackets, shirts, dresses, blouses and the like. The principal objection to the common form of so-called coat and dress hangers, is that the articles supported thereby are draped and hang in an unnatural manner without adequately showing some semblance of their natural form or appearance, so that the attractiveness of the article is considerably detracted from. For example, a

ladys dress or gown when suspended from the ordinary type of hanger will hang flat and shapeless in folds so as to render the ap pearance thereof less attractive than the article actually is. In order to obviate this objection, dresses and gowns are exhibited at considerable expense upon models or forms which fill out the dresses or gowns and display them to good advantage and in a manner resembling their appearance when actually worn by the prospective purchaser. These models and forms have been heretofore necessary in order to most readily sell the merchandise, but these models and forms are expensive and take up a considerable space so that an entire stock cannot be exhibited thereby but the stock must be kept in a small storr age space and be transferred therefrom and draped over these models or forms in order to display them to the prospective purchaser.

This procedure takes time and labor and,

while eliminating the necessity of having a great number of models, it has other disadvantages among which is the impossib llty of displaying all or at least a large part of the stock at once because of the lack of space in most cases, and the necessity of maintaining a supply of article hangers and models 0 or other display forms.

It is the principal o ect of this invention to obviate these objections by providing a display device which is a support for articles of wearing apparel and, at the same time, an effective exhibitor thereof. By means of Serial No. 189,222.

the new display device articles of wearing apparel such as dresses, gowns, coats and blouses and the like may be stored in a small space, and then by a simple operation performed by the salesman or exhibitor, the article of apparel may be made to simulate its appearance when worn by the prospective purchaser. This is accomplished by means controlled by the exhibitor so as to fill out the article of apparel in the proper manner, whereby it is correctly draped and takes form to eliminate folds and the fiat appearance caused by hanging from the ordinary type ofhanger in present use. The forming means may vary in several instances, depending on the type of article to be displayed. For example, a mans coat may require one form of the combined hanger and exhibitor of this invention, while a ladys gown may require another form. In this specification a universal hanger and exhibitor is described for the purpose of displaying the majority of classes of wearing apparel, but it is to be understood that such changes as may be necessary to convert the device into an exhibitor for special articles of apparel can be made within the scope of this invention.

A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is an elevation of a preferred embodiment of the wearing apparel exhibitor of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the device showing one position of the operating mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing another position of the operating mechanism;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the device shown in inoperative or closed position;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 8 and illustrating the operative or open position; and

Fig. 6. is an enlarged detail of a portion of the operating mechanism.

Referring to these drawings, numeral 10 designates the conventional type of horizontal bar hanger made of wood, meal or any other suitable material and provided with the hook 11. In the particular form illustrated in the drawings, a bracket 12 spans the curved lower surface of the hanger 10 and is fastened at its ends in saw-cuts in the hanger portion 10 as illustrated or in any other suitable manner. Pivoted in bar 12 are two curved rods 13 and 14 which are adapted to normally lie in the vertical plane of han r 10 as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Ref rring particularly to Fig. 6 which is an enlarged view of the upper portions of rods 13 and 14, it will be seen that these rods terminate in cranks 15 connected to a movable bar 16 superimposed upon stationary cross-bar 12. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the crank portions of rods 13 and 14 are oppositely disposed in bar 12 so that the movable bar 16 extends diagonally thereof, this arrangement being due to the fact that rods 13 and 14 are adapted to swing outwardly into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5 so as to extend'laterall of the vertical plane of the hanger 10 in w ich these rods 13 and 14 normally lie when in inoperative position. Ow-

ing'to the lateral displacement of the journal points of rods 13 and 14 in stationary cross-bar 12,the curved portion of rod 14 extends to a greater distance from the center than the curved ortion of rod 13 as shown in Fig.1 in order t at both rods 13 and 14 will extend the same len 'th when in open or operative position as sliown in Fig. 3.

The operating mechanism in addition to that described comprises a lever 17 pivoted in hanger 10 as shown in 'Fig. 1 so that the lower free end thereof slidably engages an opening18 shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A leaf spring 19 is mounted on top of hanger 10 and engages the outer free'end of lever 17 so as to hold it in the position shown in Fig. 1, whereby rods 13 and 14 are constrained in the closed or inoperative position illustrated by Figs. 1 and 4. This leaf spring 19 also effects the return of rods 13 and 14 into closed position the moment that'pressure upon lever 17 is relieved.

In operation a gown, dress, blouse, jacket or coat is draped around hanger 10 in the usual manner and hangs flat therefrom, being suspended only by the relatively straight bar comprising hanger 10. When draped in this manner the article of wearing apparel may be stored away on bars or hooks and takes up very little space. However, when it is desired to exhibitthe article of wearing apparel suspended from the hanger, the hanger is removed from its storage space and the salesman or exhibitor presses lever 17 so as to move rods 13 and 14 from the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5. It is apparent that when this takes place the rods 13 and 14 provide lateral projections which tend to fill out the article of apparel in a manner simulating the appearance of the article when worn by 'theprospective purchaser. For this purpose and in the instance illustrated, rods 13 and 14 are shaped to correspond to the bust or chest form to which the article of wearing apparel is shaped to assume when worn. This is particularly illustrated in Fig. 3 in which the outline of an article of wearing anparel, such as a gown or a coat, is shown in phantom as it is extended or filled out by rods 13 and 14 when the device is made operative byapplying the pressure to lever 17. Upon releasing pressure from lever 17, spring 19 will force the former into its inoperative position and with it rods 13 and 14 are moved substantially into the vertical plane of hanger 10 whereupon the article of wearing apparel collapses into the fiat position which it will assume when suspended directly from hanger 10. lVhile in the preferred embodiment illustrated and described the mechanism has been designed to fill out the bust or chest of the article of wearing apparel, it is clear that other portions of apparel may be filled out in the same manner and that a greater number of rods 13 and 14 may be provided and rendered operative in the same or in a similar manner or that rods 13 and 14 may be replaced by equivalent members which will effect the same or similar results. Among modifications of the device illustrated in the drawings may be the addition of a ribbon or elastic band 20 as shown in phantom in Figs. 1 and 2 suspended between rods 13 and 14 so as to present a greater surface for holding the article in exhibited position.

The new device of this invention accordingly ail'ords many important advantages and eliminates numerous apparatus for ex hibiting wearing apparel of various types and also obviates a great deal of labor connccted with exhibiting wearing apparel. For example, the entire stock of a store can be stored on the device of this invention without taking up any more space than is now used by the ordinary type of apparel lmnger. Then as the prospective purchaser desires to examine the dress or gown, for example. it is only necessary for the salesman or exhibitor to remove the device from its hook or other support, press lever 17 and the prospective purchaser has an opportunity to view the article in its most attractive form, i. 0., when it simulates the appearance of being worn by the prospective purchaser. It is evident that when the gown or dress is exhibited in this manner, the objectionable fiat appearance which it assumes when hung fromthe ordinary hangcr is eliminated and with it the folds and creases which make the a icle of wearing apparel seem shapeless. Alter the purchaser has viewed the article of wearing apparel and desires to examine another articlo, the salesman or exhibitor releases lever 17, whereupon rods 13 and 14 return to their inoperative position allowing the gown or dress to collapse and be returned to the storspace. Accordingly, by means of employing one of the devices of this invention for each article in stock or inserting it into each article as it is to be exhibited, the use of models and forms and their attendant expense and bulk are eliminated.

I claim:

1. A Wearing apparel display device comprising a bar, spaced movable members depending from the bar, and means for jointly moving said members relatively to each other to extend laterally of the bar.

2. A wearing apparel display device comprising a bar, a plurality of depending members pivoted to the bar, and means for jointly moving the members relatively to each other and to the bar so as to extend laterally of the bar.

3. A Wearing apparel display device comprising a bar, a plurality of curved members normally lying in the plane of the bar, sub stantially vertical pivots therefor, and means to jointly move the curved portion of the members out of the plane of the bar about aid pivots.

a. A Wearing ap )arel display device comprising a bar, a plurality of members nor mally lying in the plane of the bar and depending therefrom, a means on the bar for jointly moving said members out of the plane of the bar.

5. A Wearing apparel display device comprising a substantially horizontal bar, a plurality of members suspended upon substantially vertical pivots from the bar in the vertical plane thereof, said members having curved portions, and means to move said members into a position substantially normal to said plane.

6. A Wearing apparel display device comprising a substantially horizontal bar, a movable member lying in the vertical plane of the bar, a substantially vertical pivot therefor, and a lover mechanism mounted to the bar and connected to the member, said mechanism being adapted to move said member about its pivot laterally of said plane.

'1'. A Wearing apparel display device comprising a substantially horizontal bar, a plurality of movable members pivoted to said bar and normally lying in the vertical plane thereof, a lever mechanism connected to said members, and means for operating said mechanism to jointly move said members out of said plane into a position laterally thereof.

8. A Wearing apparel display device comprising a substantially horizontal bar, a plurality of movable members depending from the bar, and a lever mechanism controlling the positions of said members, said mechanism being adaped to jointly move said members in and out of the vertical plane of the bar.

A Wearing apparel display device com- Pl'lf;

I; substantially horizontal hanger, a

plurality of movable members dependlng from the hanger and pivoted in the vertical plane thereof, a bar controlling the move ment of the members, and means for actuating the bar to cause the members to swing outwardly into a position normal to said plane.

10. A Wearing apparel display device comprising a substantially horizontal hanger, a plurality of movable members depending from the hanger and normally lying in the vertical plane thereof, a crank forming part of each of said members, a bar connected to the crank of each member, and means for actuating the bar to cause the members to swing outwardly into a position normal to said plane.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSEPH H. LOPIN. 

